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Tag: Olatunji Adebayo

  • Adebayo: a consummate politician departs

    Adebayo: a consummate politician departs

    • By Omotayo Ishola

    The may not be a colourful politician in the mould of Barkin Zuwo, Rimi Abubakar Mohammed nor possessed the oratorical wizardry of uncle Bola Ige, Ladoke Akintola or Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe. He might have not earned the governmental genius of an Awolowo, Jakande or Sam Mbakwe, Chief Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo, Ex-Governor of Kwara State who died on Wednesday 25th June, 2025 aged 84, was a marvic politician of triumph and strength by all indices of politics, politicking, in Nigeria political firmament!

    Horned in the academics as a lecturer at the University of Ife, Ile-Ife, Osun State, now Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Chief Cornelius Adebayo transferred his service into the former Kwara State School of Technology Ilorin now Kwara State Polytechnic where he was pulled for Public Service as a cabinet member in the military regimes of Late Col. Adetunji Taiwo, to Late George Innih between 1975 to 1978.

    He was a “point man” in that cabinet with various portfolios in various times as Commissioner for Education, Economic planning and Finance, and other varied portfolios. It was as Commissioner for Education that he became a “Focal Point” in the geometric expansion of Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Institutions in the then Kwara State transversing a section of the present Niger, Benue and Kogi States respectively. At the dawn of Second Republic Presidential System, the Late Chief J.S Olawoyin, the stormy petrel of Offa politics fished out young graduates and intellectuals for the fledgling Unity Party of Nigeria in Kwara State to push the revolutionary programmes of Chief Awolowo led party in Kwara State. Chief C.O Adebayo was one of the “Turks” and was pushed for Senatorial contest in Kwara South comprising of then Ifelodun, Irepodun and Oyun Local Governments. C.O Adebayo won the senatorial election on the platform of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and was the UPN Secretary for Senatorial caucus of the senate then in Lagos! Senator C.O Adebayo was on some senate committees on education, and later got elected as the secretary of International Parliamentary Union (IPU). As a young senator then at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos, Senator Adebayo was privileged to rub minds with more experienced parliamentary wizards like Late Chiefs J.O A Odebiyi, Abraham Adesanya, Rajilola Ayoola Adeleke (Balogun of Ede), Prof. Senator Banji, Akintoye, David Oke, Senator Oye Adefila, Sola Saraki, Senator David Dafinone, Barkin Zuwo among senators of the period. As the run-up to the Second Republic gathers momentum in 1983, the young revolutionary Turks in the UPN in Old Kwara State pulled up the rings to push up a younger person other than old horse of J.S Olawoyin for gubernatorial on slaught in 1983. These young radicals included but not limited to: S. Wole Oke, Sanmi Fatoyinbo, Joe Obasaju, Olumide Fayomi, Dele Shittu, Peter Olayemi Obaoye, Adewara Toyin Lawal, Bisi Adeoye, Elias Adebayo, Baba Baako among others.

    The political geometrics produced a C.O Adebayo as gubernatorial candidate as against J.S Olawoyin. In the main, there was an irreconcilable political rumpus in the then ruling party, the then National Party of Nigeria which pitched the then Governor Adamu Atta against his god-father Late Senator Olusola Saraki in the hurricane that was code-named “Salake”. A marvic politician in C.O Adebayo made him elected as a UPN Governor trumping the ruling party to the opposition. But the whole drama lasted for three months from October 1983 to 31st December, 1983. But an Adebayo became a UPN elected Governor against the run of play.

    Between the ensuing military interregnum, C.O Adebayo became one of the leading lights against militarism. At 50, I was able to interview him for a report in the Daily Times in which he contended prophetically that he would be a man of the future. When the duo of Ibrahim Gbadamosi Babangida and Sanni Abacha launched their Hitlerian reich on the Nigeria landscape, a voice of C.O Adebayo resonated in the Afenifere, NADECO, and National Movement for National Restoration in which he became the Secretary while the late immortal Adolor of Uromi, Chief Anthony Enahoro the mover of Independent motion in 1953 became the anchor person as chairman. C.O Adebayo travails and triumphs had been adequately documented in his memoirs “Running for Dear Life, NADECO report Abroad”. As Nigeria gravitated towards Civil Rule in 1999, C.O Adebayo stars rose up again, he was taunted for Chairmanship of Interior National Government hurribly  put by “IBB” but he strongly rejected the offer on course of principles.

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    In the second term of President Olusegun Obasanjo, he was appointed as Minister for Communications and later as Minister for Works and Housing.

    In retrospect, he has trasved the political landscape of Nigeria, as Commissioner, Senator, Governor and Minster of the Federal Republic of Nigeria aside from many ad-hoc state responsibilities.

    Chief Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo was born on February 24, 1941 at Igbaja, in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State. His father Chief Joel Toye Adebayo and his mother Rebecca Adebayo hailed from Oke-Onigbin in Isin Local Government Area of Kwara State. From 1948 to 1955, Chief Adebayo had his elementary education at St. Anglican School, Oke-Onigbin in 1956, he was admitted into the provincial secondary school Ilorin now (G.S.S, Ilorin) where he completed his secondary education in 1961. In 1962, Chief Adebayo attended the Government (now Barewa College), Zaria where he obtained his Higher School Certificate (HSC). From 1964 to 1967, Chief Adebayo attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he graduated with B.A (Hons) degree Second Class Upper in English. He proceeded to the University of Ghana, Legon in 1967 where he bagged his Master degree Arts in English in 1969.

    From 1969 to 1973, Chief Adebayo was a lecturer in English at the then University of Ife, Ile-Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Osun State of Nigeria. As an educationist, Chief Adebayo was the founding Head of English department of the Kwara State College of Technology now Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, Kwara State. Between 1973 to 1975, he was appointed a Civil Commissioner in Kwara State. He was Commissioner for Education where he expanded in scope and content, the educational frontiers of Kwara State at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education. He provided a foundational and logistical support for the then fledging University College Ilorin now University of Ilorin (Better by Far University). Before his exit in the cabinet which he voluntarily resigned, he had the opportunities of serving various departments like Economic planning, finance, commerce and industry till 1978. When he formally resigned from state cabinet and return to the polytechnic as a lecturer. He formally left the College of Technology to join active polities. He was one of the Young Turks which the late enigmatic Asiwaju of Offa and middle belt crusader of minority rights, the late chief Josiah Sunday Olawoyin recruited to thr best organized political party, the rested Unity Party of Nigeria under the unforgettable avatar, Chief Jeremiah Oyeniyi Obafemi Awolowo to push revolutionary fervour to the upstart state of Kwara.

    It remains to be noted that he contested the 1979 senatorial election into the senate in Lagos and won on the platform of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN). He was a young senator between 1979 to 1983. In the senate then, having Late Joseph Wayas of the NPN as Senate President, and another irrepressible politician from Kwara State, Dr. Olusola Saraki as Senate Leader, Senator Cornelius Adebayo was on various times senate committees like Education, Culture and Environment, Commerce and Industry among others. He was also within the period and at varied times secretary and later Vice-President, Nigerian Group of Inter-parliamentary Union, Chairman sub-committee in Education, culture and environment.

    Chief Adebayo won the gubernatorial primaries of UPN in 1983 against his more experienced and formidable mentor, Chief J.S Olawoyin after some three running battles. He eventually won the Governorship election against the incumbent Governor Late Alhaji Adamu Attah from Okene, presently of Kogi State.

    He became the second Executive Governor of Kwara State till the demise of Second republic in 31st December, 1983.

    In recognition of his services to his immediate and distant communities, he was honoured with chieftaincy titles of Ajagunmolu (Field Marshal) of Oke-Onigbin, Balogun of Alla, Are of Isin and Ajiniyi of Edidi among other chieftaincy titles. A devout Christian, Chief Adebayo is married and blessed with children including the present Director-General of NALDA Oluwasegun Adebayo.

    C.O Adebayo would be remembered as a progressive politician of highest rank, an Afenifere Irredentist, a NADECO gadfly, an astute leader of Yoruba Kwara Patriots, Chairman of COFA (Nig) Ltd, a loving husband and loving father, a church man of both Anglican communion and ECWA persuasion. C.O Adebayo was here!!!

    Adieu, Chief Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo.

    •          Ishola, Legal Practitioner, Veteran Journalist, Public Essayist in Ilorin, Kwara State.

  • Adebayo: A soldier of democracy bows out

    Adebayo: A soldier of democracy bows out

    He was a man of many parts in a historic journey of over eight decades – a good teacher, an astute administrator, a progressive politician, a principled pro-democracy activist, a trustworthy community leader, and an elder statesman.

    Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo, former governor of Kwara State on the platform of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and chieftain of National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) has bowed out after illness. He was 84.

    The consensus about him is that he was a gentleman and a refined politician who could not levy partisan war; he was a man of honour and integrity.

    Adebayo died a fulfilled man, having made his mark in teaching, his chosen profession, and politics, his vocation. He was a teacher at the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), before he returned to the Northwestern State to serve as Information Commissioner. In 1983, he was kicked out of the Kwara State House by the coup plotters, barely three months after succeeding Alhaji Adamu Attah of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN).

    The deceased left behind a country that is just trying to find its feet again under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his compatriot during the anti-military rule campaign. He bade farewell to a divided pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, where a deputy leader pronounced himself as leader when the leader, Pa Rueben Fasoranti, is still alive. He left behind an oppressed and marginalised Kogi West Senatorial District, which, in the absence of zoning, can only aspire to produce the governor in vain.

    Although he claimed non-membership of any political party, which many of his admirers doubted, he was a distinguished chieftain of Afenifere, which joined other forces to float the severely bastardised, abused, rattled, and weakened platform, the Alliance for Democracy (AD).

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    One significant pain of the heart for Adebayo was his apt description as a Yoruba northerner. He was neither an ethnic chauvinist nor a religious bigot. But the eminent politician never forgave the colonial masters for the improper grouping of tribes into divergent provinces without considering historical and cultural factors. The consequence is the identity crisis, which the affected Igbomina, Ebolo, Kaba, and Ijumu and a section of Lokoja people are still battling to resolve in Kwara and Kogi states.

    Unlike the Aro of Mopa, Chief Sunday Awoniyi, who adjusted to the geographical accident of diverse tribal lumping, C. O. Adebayo, like ‘Mallam’ Bello Ijumu and Chief Sunday Olawoyin of Offa, complained bitterly. Indeed, Olawoyin sustained the fight for the regrouping of the Yoruba in that axis with the Southwest. So far, it has been a lost battle.

    At a lecture in Lagos, Adebayo lamented the consequences. When the Southwest was growing and the Yoruba were savouring free education and other people-friendly policies and programmes of the then Premier Obafemi Awolowo, the opportunity eluded his people. But Awo managed to give some scholarships later to Yagba and Kabba youths later. Adebayo also lamented the disparity in the development pace and the obvious marginalisation of his kith and kin who found themselves in the northern region.

    But he won other personal and political battles.

     Adebayo became a commissioner by merit under the military rule. Since he had built a reputation as a university teacher, the military governor had a reservoir of respect for him. In the two ministries of Information and Economic Development, and  Education, he added value to the administration.

    He was part of the Ibadan/Ife group of intellectuals who were influenced by the Awoist credo. Other members were Bola Ige, Wumi Akingbonmire, Itsey Sagay, Samuel Aluko, David Oke, Banji Akintoye, Akin Omoboriowo, and Bode Olowoporoku. Some of them who later took active part in the Second Republic politics became members of the Committee of Friends, which metamorphosed into the UPN, led by Awolowo.

    Adebayo’s election into the Senate underscored his popularity among his people. In the Senate, he was not a bench warmer. But the UPN Caucus, led by Senator Jonathan Odebiyi, could only bark from the opposition; it did not have the fangs to bite hard. The quality of legislative opposition was superb. But Nigeria would have benefited immensely if Awolowo were president. He was the best President the country never had.

    However, the UPN itself came under stress as from 1982 when some chapters were torn apart by nomination politics. Deputy Governor Sunday Afolabi, Michael Omisade and Busari Adelakun challenged Governor Ige to a duel in Oyo State. In Bendel, Demas Akpore never saw eye to eye with Governor Ambrose Ali. In Ogun, Soji Odunjo started fighting Bisi Onabanjo. In Ondo, Akin Omoboriowo pulled out his supporters to fire salvos at Adekunle Ajasin. The party was in turmoil.

    In Kwara, Adebayo challenged Olawoyin, and the party, right from the Ikenne home of Awolowo, was polarised. Understandably, the party leader threw his weight behind his old ally who suffered a lot of bruises for the Action Group (AG) in the repressive hands of the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC). Governor Lateef Jakande of Lagos, whose grandfather hailed from Omu-Aran, and Onabanjo backed Olawoyin for governor.

    However, Ige, who had been involved in a similar battle with Archdeacon Emmanuel Alayande in 1979, donated his experience to Adebayo.

    Twice were the shadow polls conducted by Adebodun Adewumi, a lawyer, and twice did Adebayo floor the old Action Grouper. At the third exercise, Awolowo painfully upheld the results, with a passionate appeal to Olawoyin to see it as democracy in action.

    A post-primary crisis was unleashed on the Kwara chapter. Reconciliation became an uphill task. All the party elders supported Olawoyin. The delegates, and majority of them were the youth who were not fascinated by stories about Olawoyin’s heroic past – tilted the pendulum of victory for Adebayo. The matriarch, Mrs. Hannah Awolowo, and her friend, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, had to travel to Ilorin to pacify the supporters of Olawoyin.

    When the UPN campaign train rolled into Kwara, Olawoyin’s supporters protested. Later, they deferred to Awo’s moral authority.

    Adebayo knew the coast was clear for him to win. Already, there was also a storm gathering in Kwara NPN, the structure of the highly influential Senate Leader Olusola Saraki, who had sworn to abort the second term bid of the Ebira prince, Adamu Attah. The Wazirin Ilorin sealed a deal with Adebayo. NPN’s top-notchers, including the minister, Akanbi Oniyangi, warned that should NPN lose Kwara, Saraki would lose his honour. The kingpin ignored them and rallied his supporters to deliver Adebayo.

    But three months later, the curtains were drawn on the young administration. UPN and NPN were ideologically different. Nobody could actually predict how Governor Adebayo would have successfully managed his benefactor in four years. In fact, he was denied the opportunity to prove his mettle as governor by the military. After the December 1983 coup, soldiers started harassing the political class in a bid to cow them into submission. The majority of them were banned from politics to give the new breed a wider space.

    But Adebayo resurfaced on the scene in the botched Third Republic, particularly during the June 12 crisis. Having been a victim of military high-handedness before, he joined forces with pro-democracy agitators to demand the de-annulment of the historic poll won by Moshood Abiola of the banned Social Democratic Party (SDP).

    It was his undoing. He was targeted for liquidation by General Sani Abacha’s men. He had to hurriedly leave Nigeria to evade arrest and possible assassination. His next point of call, unlike other compatriots who had extensive foreign contacts, was Ivory Coast, where he suffered until a visa was secured for him to travel to Canada. Adebayo never wavered in spirit as a NADECO chieftain.

    But it was a lost battle. The annulment was not reversed. The symbol, Abiola, died mysteriously in detention. In 1999 when civil rule was restored, the majority of those who supported the annulment and the interim contraption headed by Ernest Shonekan found themselves in power.

    Adebayo enlisted in the post-1999 battle for true federalism. When Afenifere was engulfed in a protracted crisis, he stood on the side of reconciliation and peace. He never wanted to act as a divisive and destabilising factor. In fact, Adebayo was being projected for future leadership within the ethnic mouthpiece. Up to now, Afenifere remains divided.

    Due to his composure and peaceful disposition, no Afenifere member raised an eyebrow when he joined the Obasanjo government as Minister of Communications. He had insisted that he was not an AD chieftain. It contrasted sharply with the reaction of the group when Ige was made the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice. At the ministry, he presided over the privatisation of NITEL. Although the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) invited Adebayo for questioning on the Siemens bribe scandal, there was no subsequent report indicating that he was incriminated.

    As Adebayo, the gentleman politician, goes home, his memories as a progressive will linger for a long time, especially among those of his generation and those who came after them.